CanWest to maximize sponsorship of NASCAR racer

The net's plans for Pierre Bourque add up to a how-to guide for making the most out of a celeb acquisition.

CanWest MediaWorks announced yesterday it will be the official sponsor of Canadian NASCAR driver Pierre Bourque, the only Canadian full-time racer in this season’s NASCAR Busch East Series.

The deal will leverage Bourque’s star status in a sport that currently attracts a quarter of all Canadians, according to a recent Ipsos survey. For starters, driving.ca, along with CanWest’s other online brands – canada.com, working.com and Dose.ca – will be the primary sponsors for Bourque’s #29 Dodge Charger race car. The logos of all four brands will be displayed on both Bourque’s racing suit and car.

As well, the race driver will be a guest writer on driving.ca‘s Motorsport site, and provide articles and content in CanWest’s newspapers, reporting on his racing experiences throughout the season.

The sponsorship will kick off with a contest timed for the start of the 2007 racing season on June 15-17, when Bourque will compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, part of a Father’s Day Doubleheader Weekend race at Bowmanville, Ont.’s Mosport International Raceway.

On behalf of Bourque, driving.ca and Mosport, the Racetrack Trivia Contest will offer racing fans a chance to win a VIP racing weekend for two. The grand prize package, valued at $2,850, consists of: a meet & greet with Bourque, two weekend passes to the Father’s Day Weekend races at Mosport, prime seating, VIP access to the paddock, pits and hospitality area, a ride in the pace car and accommodations, as well as merchandise from driving.ca and Mosport.

Demonstrating solid understanding of the sponsorship relationship, Bourque says he is ‘pleased to be able to tap into and contribute to the power of the CanWest network right across Canada.’